1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to an air circulating device, and more specifically to an air circulating device for flushing dangerous gases, such as carbon dioxide, from a crib and supplying fresh oxygenated air into the crib.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the primary concerns for parents is the health and safety of their child. The medical field is well aware of several health conditions which may afflict children, and in the case of most health conditions, the medical field has identified a root cause which triggers that particular health condition. However, one of the more worrisome health conditions that plague young children is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is associated with the sudden death of an infant and remains unexplained after a thorough autopsy and death scene investigation, as well as a review of the clinical history. In this regard, SIDS differs from several other medical conditions because the cause remains unknown.
Despite the causes of SIDS being unknown, recent studies have indicated that the addition of a fan within the child's nursery may help reduce the likelihood that an infant may suffer from SIDS. Researchers believe that fans may promote circulation of fresh air, which mitigates the chances of an infant breathing exhaled carbon dioxide, which could lead to suffocation.
Poor air circulation within the crib may be worsened when the crib is outfitted with crib bumpers. Typical crib bumpers range from about 6″ to about 10″ in height and are typically fabricated from a sponge, rubber or polymer material and having a covering of material such as fabric, polymer sheeting or the like. The bottom edge of the conventional crib bumper, in essence, creates a seal with the upper surface of crib mattress so that concentrations of dangerous heavy gasses, such as carbon dioxide, collect within the crib in the region where the infant will lie. In this regard, the bumper effectively forms a substantially confined space, similar to a shallow pool, such that if there is poor air circulation in the infant's room, the oxygen supply to the infant may be inadequate for optimum healthy conditions.
Conventional fans are well-known and are capable of circulating air. However, the conventional fan may cause more harm than good when placed in an infant's nursery. For instance, many commercially available fans are intended to cool a large area or an entire room, and thus, the use of such fans to circulate fresh air for purposes of reducing the incidence of SIDS may overcool the infant, thereby adversely impacting the baby's health. Moreover, the noise from many commercially available fans may disturb the sleeping infant. Another drawback to most conventional fans is that they include sharp blades which rotate at high speeds and pose a safety risk to the infant if the fan is located within or near a baby's crib. The sharp fan blades may cut or injure the baby's limbs, toes or fingers. Conventional fans may also raise a strangulation and/or an electrocution concern if the fan includes a power cord that is within reach of the infant. As such, conventional fans tend to be too powerful, too loud and tend to create too many safety concerns.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a device that can safely and effectively circulate air near an infant so as to flush carbon dioxide away from the infant without presenting sharp blades or dangerous power cords within reach of an infant located within a crib. Various aspects of the present invention are directed toward addressing these needs, as will be discussed in more detail below.